Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The lighthouse of Saint-Mathieu was erected in 1835 on the eponymous tip at Plougonvelin, in the Finistère, in the heart of the ruins of a medieval abbey. This landing light, 37 meters high, marks the entrance to the Brest and the Raz de Sein, with a theoretical range of 55 km. Its construction partially reused the stones of the abbey, whose square tower had already been home to a fire for at least the seventeenth century, gradually modernized to meet the needs of the Royal Navy.

As early as 1692, a glass lantern was installed at the top of the abbey tower, replacing an inefficient open fireplace. The improvements followed: in 1771, the Earl of Estaing installed oil reverbera and Bohemia ice, bringing visibility to 30 km. Despite these advances, expensive maintenance and fire risks limit its use. The tower, spared at the time of the sale of the abbey as a national property in 1796, remained in service until its delabriated state imposed the construction of the current lighthouse.

The current lighthouse, designed by engineer Lamblardie, is a 36-metre-high granite truncated tower, topped by a shrapnel optics. Initially fed with rapeseed oil and then oil (1900), it was electrified in 1932 and automated in 1996. Its fire, visible at 27 miles, guides the ships in the channel of the Four, in alignment with the Kermorvan lighthouse. Ranked a historic monument in 2011, it symbolizes the technical evolution of French lighthouses and their key role in Breton maritime safety.

The site, open to the public, also includes a modern semaphore and remains of the abbey, creating a coherent heritage complex. In 2019, La Poste honours the lighthouse in a series of stamps on the Repères on our coasts, highlighting its cultural importance. The lighthouse also serves as a setting for the program Thalassa (2012-2013), strengthening its media awareness.

The technical innovations of the lighthouse illustrate the progress of maritime signage: mercury tank (1911), Fresnel lens optics, and remote control since 2005. Its history also reflects the strategic stakes of Brest, a major military port since the 17th century. Today, it remains an essential landmark for sailors and a place of memory for the history of French lighthouses.

External links